Pouch or bag



(No Model.)

G. B. ADAMS.

POUCH 0R BAG. No. 409,159. d}!

Patented Aug. 20, 1889.

WITNESSES:

- INVENTUFH BYW$ATTYS N. PETERS. Phamumo m hm. Washingicn, B. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE B. ADAMS, OF IRVINGTON, NEWV JERSEY.

POUCH OR BAG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,159, dated August 20, 1889.

Application filed January '7, 1889- Serial No. 295,633. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Irvington, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pouches or Bags; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will en able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a tobacco-pouch or other receptacle with an automatically operating device near the mouth of the same to stretch the mouth of said receptacle longitudinally and thereby hold the same shut, and which also permits themouth to be opened when pressed.

The invention is further designed to provide a means for securing the spring to the mouth of the pouch or bag, and, further, to

' provide a means adapted to bring the sides of the pouch together, whereby the mouth is kept closed, and also to prevent the spring from riding out of position in the bag.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which similar letters are used to indicate corresponding parts in each of the views, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved pouch. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 3, a plan view of the pouch or bag when closed, the normal position of the spring being indicated by dot-ted lines. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through line as, Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Fig. 2, showing other methods of securing the spring to the mouth of the bag, and a modified form of construction of a spring. Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the pouch, indicating the position of the mouth of the bag after some of the tobacco has been removed therefrom. Fig. 8 is a blank from which the arms shown in Fig. 2 for securing the spring to the mouth of the bag are struck up. Fig. 9 shows a method of securing the arms to the .ends of the spring by means of a connectingpiece. Fig. 10 shows a spiral spring secured to the arms instead of a leaf-spring.

As indicated more especially in Fig. 8, the

spring or mouth distending device is slightly curved or bent in its normal position, having its extreme ends fitted into arms which are firmly secured to the mouth of the bag by clamping-clips, and the normal pressure of the spring forces the arms outward against the extreme ends of the mouth of the bag and causes the contact of the sides of the mouth and firmly closes the same.

In the drawings, a represents the body of the bag or receptacle. 1) is a spring situated near the mouth of the bag and secured to said mouth at the extreme ends thereof by means of npwardly-proj ecting arms 0 c, which are provided with clips or clamps c c for securing the same to the ends of the spring. Said arms may be bent as shown in Fig. 6, or they may be bent or formed as in Fig. 2, which construction is the more preferable, owing to the curved form of the spring.

Instead of forming the arms 0 of a flat piece of metal, as indicated more especially in Fig. 3,they may be formed, as indicated in Fig. 5, of a piece of tubing 0 bent L-shaped, and the spring can be inserted into the ends thereof, as will be understood.

Instead of providing the arms 0 with means formed integrally therewith for securin g the same to the ends of a spring, said arms may be inserted into a piece of fiat tubing at one end and the spring into the other end of the tubing, as shown in Fi 9, or said arms and the spring may be formed in one piece, as will be understood. The arms 0 are secured to the ends of the mouth of the bag or pouch by means of clips d, which serve to bind the material tightly around the arms and also draw the mouth of the bag together, as is evident from Fig. 3. lVhen the spring is arranged within the bag and the clips secured around the ends thereof, a lip d on the clip prevents the ends of the spring from riding out of position.

In Fig. 6 is shown a modified form of construction of a spring for closing the mouth of ioo ' in Figs. 2 and 3, I may In lieu of using a leaf-spring, as indicated employ a tempered spiral spring, the ends of which are inserted into the clips 0' on the arms 0, as indicated in Fig. 10.

One objection to pouches as heretofore made has been the use of a U-shaped spring, which prevented the bag from being folded when thesame became partly empty.

In the construction shown in the drawings I have avoided this difficulty by placing the spring near the top, which enables the folding of the bag for ready insertion in the pocket. Another great advantage is the cheapness of construction, the spring being made much shorter than those used in pouches as heretofore made, and by bringing the spring nearer the mouth of the bag greater force is exerted onthe ends of the mouth and drawing the sides closely together.

By arranging the spring as shown another great advantage is secured. When the extreme ends of the mouth of the bag or pouch are pressed between the thumb and the fingers, the arms 0 cause the spring I) to move in a horizontal plane, thereby positively bulging the sides of the bag apart, as will be clearly understood from Fig. 4.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A self-closing bag or pouch having a flexible mouth, having a spring arranged near said mouth and adapted to move in a horizontal plane when the ends of said month are pressed, said spring having arms at the ends thereof and extending up and engaging with the ends of the mouth of the bag to keep said mouth stretched longitudinally when in its normal position, for the purposes set forth.

2. A self-closing bag or pouch having a flexible mouth, having a spring arranged near said mouth adapted to move in a horizontal plane when the ends of said month are pressed, said spring having arms thereon and secured thereto by means of projections c, said arms also being secured at-the opposite ends thereof to the ends of the mouth of the bag by means of clamping-clips or metallic plates bent around the ends of the mouth of the bag and the arms on said spring, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above Ihave hereunto set my hand this 5th day of January, 1889.

MARoEY ZAH. TRUSDELL, FREDK. C. FRAENTZEL. 

